Is the era of expensive releases coming to an end? Study reveals new player habits

Gamers are increasingly postponing purchases of expensive new AAA titles until sales, while subscriptions do not hurt publishers’ revenue, but instead encourage people to spend more on games, according to a study by Newzoo and G2A.

According to a study by Newzoo, 73% of premium AAA game buyers no longer plan to purchase new releases at launch, preferring to wait for discounts ranging on average from 29% to 45%, while gaming subscriptions, contrary to publishers’ fears, can actually increase user spending.

One of the reasons for mass layoffs in the gaming industry is bloated production budgets that are becoming increasingly difficult to recoup. Following the shopping boom during pandemic restrictions, gamers have become much more cautious with their spending.

According to Newzoo, audience habits have changed noticeably over the past year. The study, conducted jointly with G2A in August 2026, surveyed more than 6,000 people from Poland, Brazil, the UK, Germany, the US, and Saudi Arabia. All participants had purchased at least one new AAA game in the last 12 months.

Buyers typically wait for a price drop of 29–45% and do not purchase new releases until at least a month after launch. Nearly 60% of purchases occur during this period or even later.

At the same time, subscriptions do not necessarily reduce publishers’ revenue: 54% of respondents stated that they started spending more on games after subscribing. Catalogs help users discover unfamiliar titles, and getting acquainted with them often leads to purchasing add-ons.